Review finds nearly 3 in 5 Jewish students in England report antisemitism

Almost three in five Jewish students in English schools say they have experienced antisemitism, and one in five of all students say they have witnessed it, according to an independent review commissioned by the British government published Wednesday.

The report led by Sir David Bell, former head of the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, makes 27 core recommendations to strengthen how schools and colleges handle and prevent antisemitism.

Education Secretary Lucy Powell announced that the government accepted all of the report’s recommendations, declaring to MPs that “change will come” on antisemitism.

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Promoted: JPPI, Rabbi Sharon Brous

The report identifies widespread underreporting of incidents, inconsistent responses by educational institutions and a lack of staff training as major obstacles to tackling the problem. It also calls for a more comprehensive approach to teaching about Jewish life and contemporary antisemitism, rather than relying primarily on Holocaust education.

Recommendations include encouraging all schools and colleges to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, strengthening safeguarding guidance and explicitly incorporating antisemitism into professional standards for teachers.

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“No review of this kind should be necessary,” Bell wrote in his foreword. “Yet at a time when antisemitism has become increasingly visible in our schools and colleges, communities and public life, it is not only necessary but urgent.”

The review was commissioned in March by then-Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson amid concerns about rising antisemitism across British society since the  October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war.

The report was based on a survey of more than 5,000 English students aged 16-19, including 92 who identified as Jewish. The low sample size of Jewish students “should be treated with caution,” even as they provide insight into students’ experience of antisemitism, the report said.

Among those identifying as Jewish, 59% said they experienced antisemitism. Of the general population, 20% said they had witnessed antisemitism, including 2% who experienced it directly.

Responses showed that antisemitism was most likely to occur in social areas (68%), online or on social media (44%) and in lessons or classrooms (38%). Jokes, stereotypes and comments about Jewish people were the main forms of antisemitism, identified by 85% of those who experienced or witnessed it.

Roughly half of respondents who witnessed or experienced antisemitism said they didn’t report the incidents, mainly because they did not think they were serious enough or that it would be taken seriously. Of the 19% of respondents who said the incident was reported by themselves or someone else, one in four (27%) believed the school or college’s response was ineffective.

Overall, 12% of respondents believed antisemitism was an issue at their school or college, compared with 46% of Jewish respondents.

The report also highlighted concerns among teachers, quoting a survey of about 10,000 teachers that found 26% had dealt with an antisemitic incident, although most described it as rare. A separate survey cited in the report found that, among Jewish teachers, 51% said they had experienced antisemitism in the workplace in the previous year, while 52% said appropriate action had not been taken when they reported problems.

“If education isn’t the answer, what is?”

Antisemitism has no place in our schools and colleges.

Sir David Bell’s report sets out what needs to change, informed by the experiences of Jewish communities and those working in education.

Read more here ➡️ https://t.co/yJ2MZMriIl pic.twitter.com/GAKDngSpcH

— Department for Education (@educationgovuk) October 21, 2026

The report calls for schools to treat antisemitism as a distinct category of harm rather than grouping it under general racism, with an explicit requirement to safeguard and protect students.

In contrast to earlier reports, it did not call for banning teachers and pupils from wearing political symbols like pro-Palestine badges in schools. “I saw little point in making recommendations that were legally untested or impossible to implement, or both,” Bell wrote.

The report urges schools and colleges to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, establish clear procedures for recording and responding to incidents, and provide appropriate support for victims.

It also calls for changes to teachers’ professional standards to explicitly require them to challenge antisemitism and other prejudice, including discriminatory conduct online and outside school. Staff training should cover antisemitism, safeguarding and online risks, as well as the distinction between legitimate political discussion and discriminatory behavior.

The report further recommends broadening teaching about Jewish life beyond the Holocaust and using government security funding to help facilitate safe educational visits to Jewish institutions, alongside a public-awareness campaign around transport hubs near Jewish communities.

British Jewish organizations welcomed the report, thanking Bell for the initiative and calling for the recommendations to be implemented in full.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the report shows that “the scale of the challenges is sobering, and makes clear the need for a determined and consistent approach,” in a statement following the report’s publication.

“The struggle against extremism and antisemitism begins with education, so we must get this right in schools,” it added.

We welcome the recommendations of Sir David Bell to tackle antisemitism in schools and colleges and the commitment of the Secretary of State for Education to implement them. The struggle against extremism and antisemitism begins with education, so we must get this right in… pic.twitter.com/72Hs1TvPU1

— Board of Deputies of British Jews (@BoardofDeputies) October 21, 2026

The Jewish Leadership Council likewise welcomed the report, noting that antisemitism in schools “has been one of the most distressing aspects of the tidal wave of anti-Jewish hatred experienced by Jewish communities over the past three years.”

The Community Security Trust, a nonprofit providing security to British Jewry, said it hopes the report represents “the first step towards meaningful action to tackle anti-Jewish hatred in our education establishments.”

“Schools should be places where every child feels safe, included and able to learn without fear because of who they are,” CST wrote on X. “Instead, too often, Jewish children and staff have their educational experience marred by racist harassment, intimidation and extremism. This cannot continue.”

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